Lemon Blueberry Bread

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My plush Lemon Blueberry Bread is like the best blueberry muffin in a sliceable form! You’ll want to bake and enjoy this craveable quickbread all year long!

• Fresh lemon intensity: This flavorful quickbread has gorgeous lemon flavor.
• Bursting with berries: Juicy and jammy, with a lovely floral note. And you can use fresh or frozen!
• Perfect for beginners: This easy recipe delivers impressive results.
• Freezes beautifully: Freeze whole or in slices for a grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
• So pretty! Lemon yellow, berry blue, and the glaze gives it a polished look.

I started developing this Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe because I wanted a crowd-pleasing, delicious, but simple recipe you can enjoy all through the spring. Blueberries give pops of fruity sweetness, and the lemon zest brings concentrated flavor and aroma to every slice. Using buttermilk tenderizes the crumb, giving it a moist, but not oily texture.

My most important tip for you is to follow the mixing instructions carefully—cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy to incorporate air and achieve a cake-like texture. Mix in the flour at low speed (or mix it in by hand) to prevent too much gluten from developing and making the blueberry quickbread tough.

Table of Contents

• What is Lemon Blueberry Bread?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Lemon Blueberry Bread
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
• Mix-In Ideas and Flavor Variations
• FAQs
• More Spring Baking Recipes

What is Lemon Blueberry Bread?

Lemon Blueberry Bread is a tender quickbread infused with lemon zest and full of juicy berries. Buttermilk and butter in the recipe give this lemon-blueberry loaf a rich, homemade flavor and a moist crumb. A simple glaze is poured on the top for additional lemon flavor and a pretty finish. It’s company-ready, and perfect for Easter or Mother’s Day. Or enjoy a warm slice at breakfast or with an afternoon tea or a cup of coffee.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• 9×5-inch (23×12-cm) loaf pan
• Parchment paper
• Whisk
• Stand mixer (optional)
• Spatula
• Wire cooling rack

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

For the Lemon Blueberry Cake

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour creates the right balance of structure and tenderness.
• Substitute: For a gluten-free blueberry lemon loaf, instead of all-purpose flour, use the same amount of 1:1 gluten-free baking mix, like my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix, or another gluten-free flour.

Baking powder

• Baking powder gives the blueberry and lemon bread lift.

Butter

• Butter gives this lemon loaf a rich flavor and texture.
• The butter and sugar are creamed to aerate the batter, which makes the quick bread cake-like.
• Using room-temperature butter is crucial for the right texture. Check out my easy tips to soften butter the right way.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of vegetable oil or melted coconut oil.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens the lemon-blueberry loaf and balances its tartness.
• Importantly, the granulated sugar locks in moisture, which helps the loaf stay moist.
• Substitutes: See my Sugar Substitute Chart for alternative sweetener ideas.
  • Honey, or coconut sugar, would work well in this recipe.

Lemon zest

• Lemon zest gives the quickbread a fresh citrus flavor and aroma.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavors in this lemon blueberry bread recipe.

Eggs

• Eggs bring the ingredients together smoothly, creating a cohesive batter.
• Additionally, eggs add moisture to the bread.
• Be sure to use room-temperature eggs in this recipe to ensure that they mix in well. Here’s how to safely warm cold eggs.
• Substitute: In place of the two eggs in this recipe, use 1/2 cup (4 oz/122 g) of applesauce or 2 flax eggs (mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water and let sit for 5 minutes before using).

Buttermilk

• The buttermilk gives the blueberry loaf tenderness and moisture.
• Additionally, buttermilk adds a subtle tanginess to the blueberry loaf.
• Substitute: Here’s my quick and easy recipe for making buttermilk substitute.

Blueberries

• Blueberries give this blueberry loaf recipe pockets of jammy flavor.
• You can use fresh or frozen blueberries (use them right from the freezer—do not thaw).
• Substitute: You can use the same amount of another fresh or frozen berry. If you use large berries, cut them into smaller pieces first.

For the Lemon Glaze

Powdered sugar

• Powdered sugar creates a thick and sweet glaze.
• Additionally, the powdered sugar creates an opaque, glossy glaze.

Lemon juice

• The lemon juice creates a pourable glaze.
• The juice gives the glaze a vibrant flavor, and it balances the sweetness.
• I recommend using fresh lemon juice for the best taste.

How to Make Lemon Blueberry Bread

Make the Lemon Blueberry Bread

1. Prepare to bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter and line with parchment a 9 x 5 inch (23 x 12 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.
2. Whisk dry ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Set aside.
3. Cream butter, sugar, zest, and salt: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer), cream the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and salt on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

4. Add eggs and buttermilk: Reduce the speed to medium and add in the eggs one at a time, followed by the buttermilk, mixing until smooth.

5. Add flour: Reduce the speed to low and stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

6. Fold in berries: Using a spatula, gently fold in the blueberries, then spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

7. Bake the loaf: Bake for 60–70 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

8. Cool completely: Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make and Add the Lemon Glaze

9. Whisk the glaze ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable; add more lemon juice, a few drops at a time, if needed.
10. Drizzle with glaze: Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf and let set for about 15 minutes.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Take out butter and eggs 30 minutes early: Let your lemon blueberry bread ingredients come to room temperature before mixing.
• Zest first: When a recipe calls for zest and juice of a lemon, it is always easier to zest first, then juice.
• Use frozen blueberries straight from the freezer (do not thaw) to prevent excessive bleeding.
• Use another berry if you like: Raspberries, blackberries (cut in half if large), or mixed berries in place of the blueberries.
• Don’t overmix the batter: Stir just until the flour disappears to keep the bread tender.
• Tent blueberry loaf if browning too fast: If the top browns before the center is baked, loosely cover with foil for the last 10–15 minutes.
• Let the bread cool before glazing: Let the loaf cool completely so the glaze sets cleanly instead of soaking in.

Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-Ahead Tips:

• You can make this loaf up to three days in advance.
  • For best results, bake and cool the loaf completely and store it unglazed.
    • Wrap well or place in an airtight container and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to three days.
    • Make the glaze and drizzle it on the cake before serving.
  • For more extended storage, wrap the cooled, unglazed loaf well and freeze for up to eight weeks.
    • Thaw the wrapped loaf in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 3 hours.
      • Unwrap and let sit for 30 minutes before glazing.
  • For unglazed slices that you can pop in the toaster, bake and cool the loaf, slice, wrap individually, place in a freezer bag, and freeze for up to eight weeks.
    • Toast slices right from frozen.

How to Store Leftovers

• Store leftover blueberry lemon loaf cake in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to three days.

Mix-Ins and Flavor Variations

• Orange Blueberry Bread: Substitute orange zest for the lemon zest in the bread, and orange juice for lemon juice in the glaze.
• Triple Berry Bread: Use a mixture of blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries (cut in half if large.)
• Lemon Blueberry Almond Bread: Fold 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz/71 g) of toasted almonds into the batter.
• White Chocolate Lemon Blueberry Bread: Add 1/2 cup (3 oz/85 g) of white chocolate chunks to the batter with the blueberries to make it more dessert-like.

FAQs

Can I make this Lemon Blueberry Bread recipe gluten-free?

• For gluten-free blueberry lemon loaf, instead of  the all-purpose flour, use the same amount of 1:1 gluten-free baking mix, like my Easy Almond Flour Baking Mix or another gluten-free flour.

How do I make this lemon loaf egg-free?

• To make this lemon loaf egg-free, replace the two eggs with one of the following:
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz/122 g) of applesauce
  • 2 flax eggs (mix 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons of water and let sit for 5 minutes before using).

What do I do to make sure my Lemon Blueberry Bread has a perfect texture?

• Use room temperature ingredients so the batter is even and smooth.
• When creaming the butter and sugar, beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. This will aerate the mixture and make the crumb tender and cake-like.
• After the flour is added, mix until just combined.
• Do not add more berries than called for, or the cake could be gummy in the middle.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.

More Spring Baking Recipes

• Lemon Blueberry Pie
• Carrot Cake Cheesecake Roll
• Lemon Meringue Cake
• Small Carrot Cake
• Lemon Meringue Pie Cookies